Scales and Ink
by Steel Wool
Summary: New chapter: Lose It Summary: They couldn't be lost, not with his abilities... So why were they? AU Drabble fic Rated K ish?
1. Bitter Taste, Cute Face

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima, I own nothing.

 _ **Bitter Taste, Cute Face**_

* * *

The front bell chimed pleasantly. It echoed around the room and his head turned in response. It was her. His greeting died on his lips and he offered a smug look instead.

"Morning," the girl offered blearily as she stepped up to the counter.

"I ain't even gonna bother correctin' ya, Shorty." She glared at him from behind her hand, which she was using to cover a small yawn.

It was the same routine every day.

"Are you going to take my order like a competent employee? Or perhaps you'll let me get my caffeine fix off the fumes..."

He barked out a laugh at that. His usual, 'gihi' that made her crinkle her nose cutely. He made his way down the counter and propped himself on his elbows opposite her.

"What can I get ya, then?" Like he didn't know the answer already.

Without hesitation, she responded.

"Medium sized house brew, black." She tucked a strand of wild blue hair behind her ear as she fished around her purse for her wallet. Pushing himself off the countertop, he spent another moment glancing over her pixie-like features before moving to get her drink.

"'Ye are, Shorty." The register beeped familiarly as he rang up her purchase and she took her coffee and receipt.

"Thanks." Her smile was small and sleepy, but it still did funny things to his stomach. With a small grunt in return, she went on her way to her usual perch where she spread herself out comfortably.

At noon, every work day, she came in. Usually tired and with light marks under her eyes, but always a smile. It had been like this for months now.

In her corner, he watched as her honey-hazel eyes crossed oddly at the cup in her hands. He shook his head. While he would never admit it out loud, this is what he looked forward to everyday– why he kept this stupid job.

Another sip, another face.

Discreetly, he perused the available baked goods Shagotte had made this morning before selecting a lemon blueberry muffin and bagged it. Sparing a look at her table again, he caught her shuffling through the mass of papers she never seemed to be without and making more faces at her drink. Was she trying to be mature or something?

The coffee here wasn't bad. Lily's shop had some of the best reviews in Magnolia, possibly Fiore. So what was this girl's deal?

Customers came and went and he attended to each of them and their outrageous orders. Occasionally his attention would shift back to the little bluenette as she scoured page after page but rarely touched her cup. She started gathering her things two hours later, at the usual time.

Hoisting her messenger bag over her shoulder, she offered a few words and a wave to Lily– who had appeared from the kitchen– and a brief smile to him as she made to leave.

"Oi, Shorty." He grabbed the paper bag with the Extalia logo and tossed it over the display to her. It was grabbed easily and she looked at him questioningly.

"'S ta get that horrible taste outta yer mouth." A smirk twitched at his lips as she sputtered indignantly and blushed. "I'm going on break." Lily nodded as he pulled off his apron and exited through the kitchen.

"W-wait!" She called, but he ignored her with a pleased gleam in his eye.

Later, she would notice the number he had slipped in. And he would be waiting for her call.

* * *

Wool

A/N: Oh my, look who decided to write. Me! This is another drabble fic to accompany my other one for the Rurouni Kenshin fandom. This isn't very long, and there isn't much going on, but I hope you like it. Please read and review!

Tumblr Prompt: 'You're really short and cute and you buy a cup of black coffee every morning but you make weird faces as you sip it and you never finish your drink are you trying to look mature or something' AU

You guys are more than welcome to give me a prompt, but keep in mind I may not use them all. It's of no offense to you! I'm just ruled by my muse.


	2. Iron and Lace

_Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima._

 _ **Iron and Lace**_

The branches of the trees bowed and creaked as the weight of the air pressed upon them. The belly of a beast appeared from the clouds and sunk lower and lower. Grasses were flattened and the trees didn't fare much better. All around the clearing shook with tremors as gleaming talons sunk into the earth and the beast settled.

Rain battered the great form as the storm regathered from the tear made by the creature. A slow drizzle drenched the land steadily and the dragon's large ribcage heaved in a sigh. A noise to the right of him had him cracking open a blood red eye and scanning his surroundings.

"Excuse me," the wind whispered. His nostrils flared in a huff as he discovered nothing there.

" _Excuse_ me!" Again he stared across the space around his head and found nothing. That is, until a large leaf bobbed directly in front of his eye.

From under the foliage, a thing of blue and orange appeared and a voice whispered out.

"You're sitting on my house." The harsh tones and barking notes of his language sounded like a youth's song from the fae's tiny mouth. His eyes conveyed his shock.

She repeated her statement, emphasizing her words by hovering over his foreleg. Upon lifting the appendage he noticed the crushed home. He cast his eyes back to the daring fairie.

"Oops." He rumbled. It was amusing to watch her go red with indignation. Though he may feel slightly remorseful, there wasn't a way around it. He'd needed to land, and here is where he landed. Something as massive as he couldn't very well look out for such a miniscule object as a fairie house.

"Oops! That's all you say after you sat on my home?" Even as tiny as she was, her shrieks were impossibly loud. "How am I to keep dry now? Where do I sleep?"

These were very good points, but he thought she was making a big deal out of nothing. And about the time he was going to say such, she screamed in absolute horror. Quick as that, he was on high alert, his plate-like scales hardening and his claws digging into the dirt.

"My books!"

A cloud of metal dust spewed from his jaws. The breath attack he had been preparing coughed up in his shock.

 _'Books?'_

"No, no, no, no, NO!" Whereas he was stunned to the point of near helplessness, the small female was having a meltdown. Literally. Sparks of Fae magick were leaping off her and dancing along the leaf she held as protection from the shower– he was actually surprised she'd managed to hold onto it.

Unsure of what else to do, he attempted to downplay the event.

"Calm down, Shorty. 'S just a–"

"Do you dare finish that sentence?"

Now, this may sound unreasonable, and he would deny the happenings adamantly if questioned... But the aura emanating from the small fae was downright terrifying and his hide grew colder for it.

"You have no idea what you've done! The sheer amount of knowledge that now lies, destroyed, at your feet..." She trailed off dramatically, and he fought off the urge to scoff despite himself.

"Hundreds of years of text... Gone... There is no way I can get it back..." And so she fell victim to hysteria. Words came in various languages– many he knew to be lost. Mumbled ramblings of failing the Titania, her life, and the ruin he had caused reached him and guilt panged at his massive chest.

There was no other choice. Drastic measures had to be taken. The decision was made.

A haunting glow engulfed the drake. It reflected off his scales and blinded the clearing in its intensity. Steadily, it receded, and what was left was not a legendary being, but a man.

Long black hair and tanned skin replaced the steely plates. And hard muscle was his new armor. Piercings dotted his body, a testament to his magick and his nature. He pushed himself to his legs and raised to his full height unsteadily. It had been many long years since he had taken this form.

"Oi," he called to the manic fairie, who was still tiny despite his loss of size. Her eyes shot to him and he noticed the were the color of gleaming amber. For a moment, she looked confused.

"What can I do?" After causing her so much distress, the least he could do was offer a hand, and that was easier done when he had them.

"Do...?" The leaf lowered as she stared at him like he had offered her tea, and he might as well have. But, what he was not expecting was the pop of light as a drop of rain broke her defenses.

"Kyah– oof!" An interesting turn of events, to say the least.

Before him now, was not the inches tall fairie, but a rather small woman. Blue hair, shining honey eyes, and intricate dressings made up the visage of the once miniscule female. Her face was dollishly round and her eyes were huge to go with her pointed ears. The look was more Elven than Fae if not for the gossamer wings and spade point tail.

An interesting turn of events, indeed.

She looked up at him as he looked down on her.

"You were saying?" She tried. A smirk played at his lips and he offered a hand to her.

"You're gonna need help. I can give it." With his aid, she hoisted herself up and revealed her height to be at his chest. Cute. "I'm called Gajeel."

"Levy," came the instinctual response. Rationality finally seemed to kick in and she offered up a bemused smile. "Thank you. You're help would be much appreciated."

* * *

Wool

A/N: I have no idea what this is or where it came from... No prompt... This is sheer randomness... Read and review?


	3. Lose It

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Credit goes to Hiro Mashima. Oh, and the cover art is by Rboz.

 _ **Lose It**_

* * *

She was exhausted. Her feet ached, her muscles were screaming, and she'd never sweat so much in her life– or so it felt like.

"We're lost." She stated. At first, she'd given him the benefit of the doubt for the last four hours. However, her faith in the dragonslayer was slowly declining.

"We might be." He deadpanned cryptically.

The ground beneath her faltered and she found herself stumbling forward. It took his hand on the collar of her dress for her to stop, but she still hadn't regained her balance. Incredulousness washed over her face as she stared unseeingly at the dirt track ahead.

"You can't be serious..." From her position in front of him, she couldn't make out his face to tell. But, she could feel his shrug of indifference.

"You're a dragonslayer! You can smell a bolt from over a mile away and even tell the composition... How can we be lost?" In hindsight, shrieking and panicking as she was wasn't a good idea. Yet hunger and sleep deprivation were doing funny things to her brain function.

He scoffed. "Calm down, Shorty, we'll be fine."

"You lost the map," she supplied.

"Don't need no map." Her rage grew at his insistence. It was bad enough she didn't even attempt to correct his poor grammar. A chuckle bounced around her head in its usual weird way and she seethed.

"Tired, Shrimp?"

There was a spell at the tips of her fingers. The magic itched to perform for its master. Stubbornly, she withheld the urge.

At a fork in the road, he made a turn. The seemingly random decision aggravated her even more.

Who the hell did he think he was!

"Gajeel..." The threat in her voice didn't even phase him. "Where's my com lacrima?"

"Those are for pussies. I ain't no pussy."

"I don't think you have much choice in the matter."

"Listen, we'll stop and ask for directions up here."

Where was the logic? Her arms practically crossed themselves and her cheeks puffed out. To add insult to injury, he still hadn't put her down.

"Gajeel..."

"Lev."

They broke past the treeline and capped the hill. Below them was a village nestled in a shallow valley.

"Bet they can give us directions here."

That was when she noticed the sign...

'Elmswood

Population 4,000.'

She didn't even think of firing the spell. Runes glowed across the ground under her suspended feet.

 _' Whoever crosses this enchantment shall suffer the effects of incredible motion sickness until the time which the caster sees fit.'_

The effect was instantaneous. Gajeel massive form lurched forward, his hand losing grip on the small girl who landed delicately a few feet ahead.

"What the fuck!" Green in the face, he staggered forward drunkenly; occasionally burping out vulgarities.

Guilt gnawed at her insides... But it was his fault for making her lose it...

"Bastard."

"Gihih–urp!"

* * *

Wool

A/N: Steel did something similar to me... We were making a coffee run and he pretended he didn't know where he was going... Bastard...

Sorry I haven't been updating... Life's been odd. I'm officially 18, though! :D ... T_T I can't adult...

R&R Please!


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